Camping in France....already set up?

[KCSIE]

Kids are asking to go camping. We don't have a tent so looking for somewhere with pre-set up tents. Have settled on France but looking for not too far to drive from a ferry port, and a short ish ferry ride too, from UK. It'll be kids first time on a ferry, first time camping, they are 2 and 4.

It must be family friendly like having a kids play area. Must also have kid friendly swimming!

Am I looking for a unicorn or does a place exist to fit the bill?

I have been to this site albeit not in a tent and it’s lovely. You absolutely wouldn’t know you were near Calais.

Sailing Into Roscoff or St Malo we drive about 4.5 hours down to the west coast vendee region. It’s a bit warmer and more choice. Go for Yelloh or Sandaya. All their sites have fab pool complexes and kids parks and entertainment.

We’ve stayed in a number of camp sites over the years. This is the best one we’ve stayed at within an easy drive of St Malo. Do the overnight as then you arrive ready to drive to your site.

https://www.campingpinparasol.fr/en

And make the time to visit Puy du Fou which is drivable from Le Pin Parasol. We’ve been going for 14 years and taken from a 3 year old to a 75 year old. It truly is the best theme park in the world.

https://www.puydufou.com/france/en/must-see-france

DC are in their 30s but when they were kids we had some lovely trips to France with Canvas Holidays using pre-erected, fully equipped tents.

We did a couple of sites in the Dordogne, beautiful, but thundery in June. Royan on the Atlantic coast was a super site in pinewoods, but a longggg walk over hot sand dunes to the huge beaches, not fun with a baby in a carrier. Guilvinec in Brittany was superb. A site in Burgundy had a peacock roosting in a tree near our tent, heralding the dawn at 0400 (in June).

Our only awful holiday was near the Spanish border, with Eurocamp. Inferior tent and equipment, unheated pool (in June), casual and bored young reps who were smoking weed outside their tent when we went to try and speak to them one evening. We complained, and transferred to a different site nearby, which was worse.

I’d love to go again with my DGC but their parents prefer hotels.

We took our dc camping to southern France from a very young age, although we had our own tent. Not sure where you’re located in the UK but Eurotunnel is the quickest option, followed by Dover-Calais ferry. Other than that, you’re looking at minimum 5 hours crossing. The night crossings are very straightforward though: if you don’t fancy St Malo, a crossing to Caen is easy and then a drive to the Loire or Vendee would give you better weather than, say, Calais.

Driving in France is very straightforward, motorways are well maintained although you’ll have to pay tolls. I would go for Yelloh or Sandaya sites, maybe Eurocamp. Wouldn’t recommend Capfun - our experience was that they were not accommodating to non-French speakers, the sites/kids entertainment are very much geared to French families.

So we also love the st Malo ferry, it’s super fun and a mini cruise atmosphere plus a short drive to les ormes

it’s super super family friendly - we started going when ours were 2 and 4 and they are now 20 and 18 and guess they’ve asked for the st malo crossing this summer!

ita such a fab holiday - Eurovamp, Huttopia Yelloh are all amazing - as well as the smaller Camping Paradise sites

All ferries are quite short I just found out: ferrygogo.co.uk/france/ferry-to-france-from-the-uk/

What you see is that you have more options than just the ferries around Calais, you can also go to Cherbourg (if you leave from Portsmouth for example)

Near Calais in my opinion you don't have the best camping spots. I have only tested like 3 but I would recommend other places.